Grand Mufti's message to ambassadors - Ramadan 1439/2018

On 22. May 2018., the head of the Islamic Community in Bosnia, Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic with his associates organized traditional iftar for ambassadors accredited in Bosnia and Hercegovina. During the iftar, Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic, delivered his Ramadan message to Their Excellences Ambassadors in which he said:

Your excellencies, dear friends,

Assalamu alaykum and good evening,

It is my honor and pleasure to be able to welcome you for iftar, the most joyous moment in a day of a person who fasts the Ramadan. Fasting reveals our own weaknesses, our limitations, but it also shows us how far our willpower can take us.

We are happy to be able to share this joy with you. I thank each and every one of you individually for deciding to join us and spend the iftar time with us. That is a great honor for us.

Your excellencies,

You are very familiar with the situation in our country. We are still counting on supports of our friends, on your support. The stability and prosperity of this part of Europe is in the best interest not only of the local people, but also of the entire Europe. The nations who live here are particularly important for the ideal of a united Europe. Without the Balkans, Europe is not whole.

And the Balkans have never been singular. It has always been a place of wealth of diversity. It has been the place where, throughout history, different civilizations have met and fought. It is up to us to choose whether those civilizations will continue to meet or fight in the Balkans. The idea of unity in diversity is the only path towards a better future.

All those who mean well to this country and its people are welcome here. It’s been so ever since Kulin ban and his charter to the Ragusans, it was shown throughout history through the fact that the gates to Bosnian homes have always been open, and this tradition continues until today.

We hope that this spirit of open-heartedness will prevail not only in Bosnia but in the entire world as well. The suffering of innocent people in Gaza, Myanmar, Yemen, Central African Republic and elsewhere should be a warning to us that as humans we still have a lot of work to do to be worthy of the trust God has placed in us.

Our humanity is being tested once again. Refugees, migrants and human trafficking victims are redirecting their routes towards Europe from Serbia to Bosnia. As far back as February, we warned that we should all prepare to be ready to respond to this challenge. We knew there would be those who would try to use this tragedy to further destabilize our country and present this as a political issue. We fear all the consequences poor management of this issue might have for our country and society. We remember that not so long ago many of us were refugees as well and we feel the pain and suffering of these people. I do not doubt the kindness and generosity of all of our nations, but that cannot be our only response to this crisis. We need a systematic solution and we need to put a stop to the attempts to make this a political issue.

Please, help our government find a suitable solution to this issue and do not leave Bosnia alone in the attempt to tackle this problem.

With hope that we would meet on such happy occasions again in the future, I wish you prosperity and success in your mission.